Steph Curry isn’t getting too carried away after beating the defending champs Boston and going 7-1 on the season.
Many had already discounted the Dubs before the season had even begun, after they lost Klay Thompson over the summer and didn’t seem to have much direction.
But boy were they wrong.
Buddy Hield has been the perfect Klay replacement and fits into the rotation like a glove. He nailed a go-ahead wide-open 3-pointer with 47.2 seconds left to play against the Celtics.
Hield, along with Steph provide a much-needed offensive, as well as defensive spark to the Dubs, which was on full display on Wednesday when they defended the hell out of the Celtics lineup and held them to just 40 points in the first half.
But Steph is remaining pragmatic.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” Curry said. “A good team, or a relevant team, wins the games they’re supposed to win, steals a couple on the road against good teams and protects home court. We’ve done those things so far, but we have two more games on this road trip — two tough tests. …
“I like where we are, obviously, but a long way to go.”
Steph added, “It was a great test. We haven’t done a damn thing, but it felt good.”
Hield also gave a balanced response about the win, but was clearly excited about the direction the team is headed.
“It’s a statement,” Hield said. “If we don’t win this game, everybody’s like, ‘Oh, they didn’t play nobody.’ So you’ve gotta come make a statement on the road, right? That’s how the basketball world talks. They say if you haven’t played nobody yet, you get battle-tested, and you have to see if it’s real.”
Head coach Steve Kerr admitted after the win that the C’s weren’t full strength, but was happy with a W nonetheless.
“Obviously Boston was without Jaylen Brown and [Kristaps] Porzingis, so this is not the best version of their team,” Kerr said, “but they’re still damn good. It’s a hell of a win in a tough environment.”
Golden State’s defense is now ranked second in the NBA behind the Thunder (allowing 103.5 points per 100 possessions).
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